STRAIGHT SEATS AND LONG REINS. 109 



seat should be as straight from pommel to cantle 

 as the shape of the rider will admit of its being, 

 inasmuch as his seat will be better, and thereby his 

 control over his horse greater, and being further 

 back on his horse will give him a greater length of 

 rein, which latter will enable him to handle his 

 horse to greater advantage and with more delicacy. 

 I did intend to refer to this particular point 

 later on, but the present seems to me to be so very 

 suitable that I will here take the opportunity of 

 ventilating what may be but my own theory after 

 all, but which is nevertheless one I believe in 

 myself, and one which I think the reader will agree 

 with me that I have good reasons for advancing. 

 I say that a man can handle a horse better, by 

 reason of having more control over him, and with 

 greater delicacy, at the end of a long rein, than with 

 a short one. My reasons for making this assertion 

 are as follow : A horse, we will suppose, is a hard 

 puller in single or double harness. Now, put that 

 horse in the lead of a coach, and he will scarcely 

 pull at all, probably not at all. Put him into the 

 ' wheel,' and he is as bad as ever. And why ? 

 Because, I maintain, he is driven with a longer 

 rein. Now, if this is the case in a coach, why 

 should it not, as I am convinced it does, obtain 

 equally in a saddle ? Everybody knows that it is 



